


Five Stars

by WaywardAF67



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Frottage, It's like Uber, Like just a LITTLE bit, M/M, Mechanic Dean, Mild Smut, No Angst, Ride Share Apps, but not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 05:03:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11913777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardAF67/pseuds/WaywardAF67
Summary: Dean had a rough flight and just wants to get home to visit his family. Instead of renting a car, Dean requests a ride using the Drivr app. He's shocked to find his driver is not only hot, but funny and interesting. A sudden snow storm has the pair spending more time together than planned. Dean has been on the fence about moving home to Kansas to start his own business, but after spending time with his sexy driver, he's convinced Kansas is where he's meant to be.





	Five Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Ellen of oz and CBFirestarter. I can't write without them. They help me not sound like a 3rd grader. Also to the rest of my High Council for all the ideas and help they provide. I love you all.

“Shit Sam, I just got in. I’m tired and was looking forward to seeing you and the kids,” Dean huffed into the phone. He may have been just shy of throwing a temper tantrum, but traveling the week after Christmas will do that to a person. Especially a person who hates to fly.

“I know Dean, it sucks for me too, dude. Being stuck in the car with a sick two year old and a cranky six year old isn’t my idea of a good time either. Just get a Drivr to Uncle Bobby’s and he’ll give you our spare set of keys. Jess, the kids, and I will be there by the morning. We are trying to beat the snow and at least get snowed in with you instead of some crappy motel room in the middle of nowhere,” said Sam.

“Isn’t that how you ended up engaged? And then a few years later got your wife pregnant? If I didn’t know any better, Sammy, I would think you like getting snowed in at crappy motels in the middle of nowhere.”

“Shut up, Dean. Get your Drivr and don’t forget to call Uncle Bobby and tell him you're coming.”

Reluctantly, Dean ordered a ride. He hated to use ride share apps and hated other people driving him around even more. He was still cursing Sam for begging him to fly instead of drive his Baby. Sure, a ‘67 Chevy Impala wasn’t really meant to brave the snow of the Mid-West, and probably would have skidded off the road a few times, but Dean would never admit that to Sam. He was going to hold his ground on a man needing his own wheels. He had a lot on his mind and didn’t really want to have the whole “where you from/where you going” conversation with the driver.

The upside to riding with Drivr is that it’s a hell of a lot faster than trying to rent a car. There was no need for a rental when Sam and Jess would be home all week. He had missed Christmas with his family and couldn’t wait to see everyone. He decided he would call Bobby while in the car, giving him a reason to avoid at least some of the conversation with the driver. He didn’t want to be rude, but he really couldn’t handle false pleasantries after a horrible flight.

**********

The Drivr driver pulled up in a new SUV - a nice charcoal Jeep Cherokee.

 _At least he has 4-wheel drive in case this snow gets worse,_ Dean thought to himself.

The driver jumped out quickly and reached for Dean’s bag.

“Hello, Dean?”

“Yeah, man. You must be Castiel?” Dean asked as he watched the driver place his luggage in the back hatch. The exchange happened so quickly he didn’t even look at the man’s face.

Dean was thankful for the warmth as he climbed into the Jeep. It was cold and he was losing feeling in his toes. Once in the driver’s seat, Castiel plucked his beanie off and tossed it in the back seat. He turned to face Dean with a smile and asked, “You are headed to Singer Auto Salvage, correct?” Dean was rendered speechless for a passing moment. He quickly recovered and mentally scolded himself for staring at his driver.

“Uh, yeah. I know it’s kind of a far drive. That’s okay, right? I mean, with the weather,” Dean inquired.

“Yes, it’s fine. This is my last ride of the night.”

Dean couldn’t help but notice how deep the guy's voice was. He didn’t like small talk, but he wouldn’t mind hearing his voice for the half hour drive. He just couldn’t come up with anything to say. The downside of avoiding small talk is those very rare times when he wanted to engage, it was difficult.

It would be Dean’s luck to get the one Drivr employee who didn’t want to talk his ear off. He considered talking about the weather, but what was he going to say? “Hey, Mr. Sexy Driver Man, with eyes of cobalt and hair of sex, how do you feel about the snow?”

God help him, Dean Winchester was at a loss on how to flirt.  He couldn’t just use his tried and true pick up lines. This wasn’t a one night stand, and he had to spend half an hour with the guy. Although, he wouldn’t mind getting a number for a future one night stand. Tonight just wasn't the night for that. He needed a shower and about twelve fingers of whiskey.

This wasn’t the type of guy you have a one night stand with. This was the guy you ask to dinner and wait until the third date.

Dean had a deep scowl on his face, wondering where the hell that thought came from, when a familiar sounding song came over the speakers. His eyes shot up to the driver, and he reached for the volume knob and paused.

“What is this?” he asked, pulling his hand back. He didn’t know what he was thinking. You never mess with a man’s music, not even the volume.

“Oh, this. I’m sorry, I can turn if off if you don’t like it,” Castiel insisted.

“No man, it’s fine. I just- I mean that’s _Kashmir_ , but what instrument is that?” Dean blurted.

“Uh, it’s a xylophone.”

“You’re not giving me anything here, man. Where the hell did you find something like this? It sounds pretty cool.”

“My apologies. I find most people prefer if I don’t talk to them. This is actually a group of elementary students. My niece is the main drummer, and my nephew plays one of the xylophones,” confessed Castiel.

“Shit, Cas-t…” Dean looked at him panicked. He didn’t remember his name, and it was obvious.

“Cas is fine, Dean,” he reassured his passenger.

“Okay, Cas. Cool. So these are kids playing? And they’re your family? That’s awesome.”

“Well, not all of them. Just the drummer and one of the twelve kids on xylophone. They are called the Louisville Leopard Percussionists. They’re actually pretty well known. They have some other rock songs if you would like to hear them.”

Dean noticed Cas’ demeanor changed instantly. It seemed as though he had been waiting for Dean to start a conversation. Maybe all passengers were like him and didn’t like to talk. That made Dean feel oddly sad. Cas seemed like a great guy, and it sucked people didn’t want to talk to him.

“Yeah, dude. I do want to hear them. But can we listen to the rest of this? _Kashmir_ is one of my favorites. It'd feel wrong not to finish it.”

“ _Kashmir_ is one of my favorites as well. Although, I would have to admit I like _Ramble On_ more.”

“Holy shit, me too, dude. That and _Traveling Riverside Blues_ are my favorite songs,” Dean beamed.

“Classic Rock is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Or at least it used to be. Less guilt recently, more pleasure.”

“How is the best music ever made a guilty pleasure? It should be a mandatory requirement.”

Cas chuckled at Dean’s enthusiasm. “I come from a very religious family. We were not allowed to listen to ‘worldly’ music growing up. So now I listen to everything. I find I like classic rock and the delta blues the most. Actually, my first introduction to rock was when I heard Led Zeppelin's rendition of _Traveling Riverside Blues_. I was hooked instantly. It took me a long time to branch out from Zep, but I think I’m finding my taste.”

“Wait, sorry if this is too personal, man. But you are just finding your taste? How long have you been exploring your musical tastes?”

Dean could instantly tell he said something wrong. Cas went back to the cold version of himself he was when Dean got in the car.

“Hey, sorry. You really don’t have to answer. I'm not judging. I just grew up on this music. It’s hard to believe someone is just finding it. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.”

Cas took his eyes off the road for a moment and said to Dean, “It’s okay. My childhood was complicated, and much of that bled into my adult life. I’ve only been exploring and experimenting for about a year.”

Because Dean was a giant perv, hearing this guy talking about experimenting had him halfway to Boner City.

“I’m sorry I brought up. You obviously don’t have to tell me anything, but you can if you want to.”

Dean noticed that traffic was slowing down and the snow was coming down hard. He felt like the biggest dick on the planet. Not only had he just somehow insulted Cas, but he was putting him in danger. Bobby’s was only fifteen minutes away. Cas said this was his last run, so he should get home before it gets too dangerous.

“It’s fine, Dean. Actually if you were willing to listen it would be nice to talk to someone. I haven’t made any friends yet, and the only other person I talk to regularly is my twin brother and his kids. It could be cathartic to dump my problems on a person I will never see again. If that would be okay with you. But you can’t give me a low rating.” Cas risked one more glance at his passenger and gave him a wicked smile.

“Don’t worry, I won’t give you a one star for going all _Cuckoos Nest_ on me,” Dean snorted.

“I wouldn’t say _Cuckoo's Nest_. I’m not crazy. I just had a different childhood. It’s wasn’t bad. I wasn’t Carrie, getting locked in the closet for getting an erection. Although, if my dad knew it was from staring at Harrison Ford, he may have actually locked me in the closet, to keep from coming out of it.”

“Yeah, but who hasn’t gotten an erection over Harrison Ford?”

Dean looked over at Cas only to notice blue eyes looking back at him, “My point exactly, Dean.”

The GPS blared something about traffic as Cas’ Jeep rolled to a stop.

“Shit, Cas, I’m sorry. If I had known the snow would pick up this much, and the highway would be this bad, I would have gotten a hotel at the airport. You can just drop me off at the nearest hotel. You need to get home.”

“I don’t think there is another hotel around until we get to the other side of town,” Cas hesitated, “but um, I have a room set up for Air B&B.”

Dean wondered if that would be a good idea. He had already developed a major crush on his driver, and didn’t want to have to spend a night in his guest room trying to fight the urge to run to Cas’ bedroom and beg him to fuck him. Which led to Dean considering if Cas was a top or bottom, when his thoughts were interrupted.

“Sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I was just trying to be polite. As soon as traffic starts to move, we will get to Singer’s in no time.”

“No, man. I’m not uncomfortable. I was just thinking…” Dean cut himself off before saying what he was actually thinking. “Yeah, that would be great. I just um, I have never used Air B&B. I was trying to figure it out.”

“Well, I have a confession. I have never actually rented it out before. I have it set up, I’ve just never made it available.”

“Cool, I would be glad to be your first.” Dean groaned internally. How is it that one hot guy had made him lose all his moves?

It was almost too dark to notice, but Dean could swear that Cas was bright red, and it wasn't from the cold.

“Well my house is just at the next exit, so hopefully we can get there soon. Although traffic hasn’t seemed to move in the past few minutes.”

Dean just nodded as he noticed the opening of _Back in Black_ drift from the speakers. This must have been the other song Cas was talking about. He was impressed that such a strange instrument could sound so much like the real song.

“So is this your niece and nephew as well,” Dean asked.

“Yes. Claire is ten and on the drums, and Michael is eight and plays the main xylophone. This was over a year ago. My brother and his family lived in Kentucky. The Louisville Leopard Percussionists are nationally known for their covers. Mostly with classic rock. Oddly enough, they were what inspired me to leave my family home and explore on my own.”

Dean could tell this wasn’t something Cas found easy to talk about, so he sat silently waiting for Castiel to proceed, giving him all the space he needed to decide what was worth telling.

“As I said earlier, I lived a sheltered life. I knew nothing other than my family and my church. Once I got away, I realized it was more like a cult than anything. My father was the pastor, and I worked for him. I lived on the estate until last year. I went to visit Jimmy, my evil twin, according to my mother. Jimmy left when he was twenty-one. He never believed in what my father preached, and honestly never even believed in God.”

“Hey, I get that, man. Hard to believe in a mythical man in the sky, when people suffer everyday.”

“I had many doubts, but I was never as brave or as strong as Jimmy. So I stayed, but I was never the same after he left. I have other siblings, but they believe so deeply in what my father was preaching. Jimmy was my only solace, but once he was gone, I started to lose my faith as well.”

Dean thought back to how Sam leaving had changed him. He had to leave Lawrence, because he believed his little brother would never come home again. He moved to a big city where no one knew him and his family history. He had no idea he would quickly make a name for himself in Chicago. He started out as a mechanic at Mr. Crowley’s Auto Body shop. It was the first place he applied, because the name made him laugh, and was hired on the spot. Crowley looked at his impeccable Impala and knew Dean would fit right in. He had been wanting to expand the business and restorations were very lucrative. Instead of having Dean work in the main shop, Crowley set him to work restoring a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS. Dean was happy to be working on another Chevy, and had the car ready for paint and upholstery in no time. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was restoring a car for a very well known enthusiast. After the first car show, Crowley got five requests within a month, all requesting the exact same team that did the Chevelle - Dean doing the mechanics and bodywork, Benny doing paint, and Garth working upholstery. There were others that helped, but Dean was the one everyone wanted. He kept the car as close to the original as he could.

That was five years ago, and Dean was still just as requested as he was then. He had signed a contract with Crowley, and it was ending at the first of the year. Dean had come back to Lawrence hoping to find a location he could open his own shop. He hated to leave Crowley and the guys, but it was time for him to come home. Crowley was disappointed, but there was nothing he could do to stop Dean. Garth swore as soon as his contract was up he was coming to work for Dean in Kansas. Benny would probably stay with Crowley, and Dean couldn’t blame him. He didn’t expect his friends to follow him. He still didn’t believe Garth would, but in the back of his mind hoped he would.

Dean was pulled from his thoughts when Castiel asked if he was okay.

“Yeah, dude. I'm fine. Your story just got me thinking about my little brother and why I left home. I just - I can related to feeling like you’ve lost faith, or hope in my case. I never had faith to lose.”

Dean felt a jolt of excitement as he noticed the cars starting to inch forward. They didn’t get far, but they were that much closer to Cas’. He was wavering earlier, but now he was sure he was going to stay. It wasn't safe for either of them to be on the road.

“My mother was more controlling than my father. She insisted that I not see Jimmy, because he was going to poison my thoughts. If it were up to her, I am sure she would have cut him off from his trust. However, my father insisted he deserved what they had given him, and he would find his way back to the Lord. Mother didn’t care about that, she just didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of the church. She had one gay son, and another ‘hippy’. No one knew I’m gay and Jimmy sells ad space, and does taxes for fun. That’s about as anti-hippy as you can get.” Cas huffed a humorless laugh. “No one knew her dirty little secrets, but she was scared they would find out.”

“Wow, I am sure the congregation would have been so disappointed,” Dean said sarcastically.

“I missed Jimmy so much. I let my mother plague my thoughts long enough, and I finally decided I would call him. We spoke everyday for several weeks. He never once pressured me to leave the family. He simply offered me a place to stay should I decide to visit. About a month after I reestablished my relationship with him, my mother caught me ‘making eyes’ at one of the visiting members of the parish. Little did my mother know that he found me at the potluck the night before and gave me my first real kiss. I was twenty-four. Isn’t that pathetic?”

Dean felt the crack in his heart. Cas had been nothing but kind, sweet, and oddly funny. He should have been able to live his life, experiment, not be shamed because he was attracted to men instead of women.

“Cas, I--”

“No, it’s okay Dean, I know. You’re sorry, nothing is wrong with me, it wasn’t fair...blah blah blah. It’s okay. I’m okay. I am just dumping my story on a stranger, remember?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t have to bring it up. And I think I passed stranger about fifteen minutes ago. About the time we last inched forward.”

Cas looks over at Dean, chuckling, “Okay, not so much a stranger than.”

He was worried he may have upset Cas, but still wanted to be an outlet for him. So he gently tried to get him to finish the story. “So you made out with a visitor to your church and what, your mom caught you?”

Cas gave Dean a weary look, but continued, “No, she never actually found out about it. But knowing that I wasn’t crazy, that I was actually attracted to guys and it wasn’t just some fantasy I built up in my head, gave me the courage to finally go against her wishes. The next day I booked a ticket to see Jimmy. I didn’t know when I was coming back, and didn’t care. I knew this wasn’t the time to leave, but a time to discover who I really was. I got there and I was so happy to see Jimmy. After a few days of catching up he took me to a gay bar. Dean, I was in heaven. I think I probably kissed three or four different guys that first night, just because I could. I had never been hit on before. It felt so nice to be desired.”

“Oh come on man, you were never hit on? I can’t believe that. You’re hot as sin. You probably had all the straight boys curious.”

Cas flushed and gave Dean a big toothy grin. Dean felt his own face heat up. He didn’t mean to be so forward with Cas. Now the guy was probably going to sleep with a shotgun next to his bed.

“That’s a nice compliment, Dean, but I’m afraid it’s not true. I never experienced so much as a flirtation before I went to that bar. I was worried Jimmy would tell me to slow down, that I would regret these decisions. But I think he knew exactly what I needed. He probably did the same thing before he met Amelia. He just sat there drinking club soda while I made a fool of myself. Dancing with any guy who asked, kissing any guy who tried. I probably would have went home with the first guy who asked, but I got too drunk and threw up on the dance floor. Jimmy threw a couple hundred dollars at the bartender, apologizing profusely and dragged me to his house. He never lectured me, or told me how awful I was. It was the best week of my life. But I knew I had to go home. My father relied on me a lot and I couldn’t just leave him. But I would visit Jimmy more often. I would visit bars when I was there, but not as much as I did that first week.

“It was my last visit to Louisville that changed everything. I saw my niece and nephew on stage, playing a song that was older than I was. A song I was never allowed to listen to, and wouldn’t have known the name of if Jimmy hadn’t sent it to me the week before. He wanted me to be familiar with it, so I could see how good the kids really were. And they were, Dean. They were so good. I saw how free and happy they were and I was jealous. I was jealous of two children. That was the moment I decided to make the change. I stayed there with my brother. I had nothing left at home that I wanted. It was all proof of a life I didn’t want to remember. A few months later, Jimmy got transferred here. I decided it was time to be on my own and bought a house. The rest, I guess you could say, is history. I have spent a little over a year learning new music, watching movies I never got to watch growing up, and trying things I never would have been able to do.”

Dean felt speechless. His childhood wasn’t roses, but somehow he felt more for Cas. John wasn’t around, and when he was he was drunk. But in his own messed up way, he showed he cared. He made bad decisions, but it was always in their best interest. It didn’t seem like Cas’ family even cared about him.

Struggling for something to say, Dean asked, “So now you just drive for, uh, Drivr? Is that all you do?” He drops his head back against the headrest. It wasn’t his finest moment. “I mean, I don’t mean it like that’s all you do. That sounds bad, like you don’t do anything important. Not that Drivr isn’t important, I’d be screwed without it. I just mean…”

Cas was laughing, and he begged Dean to stop. Dean didn’t see what was so funny about making an ass out of himself, but he took Cas’ laugh as a good sign and stopped before he said something even more stupid.

Catching his breath, Cas answered, “I drive for Drivr because I got sick of going out every weekend. You can only get a quick hand job in a disgusting bathroom so many times before even that gets boring.”

“Oh, I don’t know, man. That doesn’t sound all that bad.”

While Dean was an equal opportunist, he found he was more often attracted to women when it came to one night stands. For one thing, it was faster. There was no prep or need for lube. It’s just a quick in and out. He had been with twice as many women as he had been with men.  Odd as it may seem, he viewed being with a man more intimate. You took more time, you took better care to make sure you don’t hurt him. There was so much more opportunity for foreplay. And wasn’t that just funny. Dean Winchester, the most macho, alpha male you would ever meet, prefers sex with men over women because the foreplay is better.

_Shit, apparently I'm a sexist asshole._

“At first it seems fun,” Castiel started, “but after a while all the guys just blur together. As corny as it sounds, I wanted something more.”

“Nah, that’s not corny. You know what you want. It’s respectable.” Dean tried to hide his flushed skin, hoping Cas wasn’t aware of just how desperately Dean wanted the exact same thing. Coming home to Kansas wasn’t just to be with his existing family. He wanted to start his own family. Being around Sam and his munchkins always made him long for a life he never thought could be his. After he started toying with the idea of opening his own shop in Lawrence, his hopes of finding someone and starting a family grew. He wasn’t sure if he would stay in Lawrence of have to move to Kansas City. Most of his current clientele shipped their cars in from all over the country. He didn’t think the location mattered, but he was still worried that without Crowley’s name attached to his work, he would fail.

“So now I pick up drunk people on their way to hook up. Not the best plan I’ve ever had to stave off loneliness. But sometimes you meet interesting people, and have good conversations.” Cas smiled, looking over at Dean once again.

Dean stared right back into Castiel’s eyes. He was sure they were sharing a moment. He briefly considered leaning forward to capture the other man’s lips in a brief kiss. The thought passed quickly, as he noticed the cars around them moving forward. He cleared his throat, breaking the spell.  

Cas looked forward and slowly let his foot off the brake, keeping a safe distance from the car in front of him.

“So, what brings you to town, Dean? Business or pleasure?” Cas smirked.

_Holy shit. Is he flirting with me? That sounds like flirting._

“I guess you could say both. I’m here visiting my family, but hoping to find a suitable location to start my business.”

“And what is it that you do?”

Dean grinned. This was something he didn’t mind talking about. “I restore classic cars. It turns out I’m a Chevy specialist. I work on other cars, I’ve just built a reputation for my work with Chevys. My Baby is a ‘67 Impala. You should see her, man, she’s beautiful. She was the first car I ever worked on. I learned everything I know from her. How to change her oil, replace her carburetor or intake manifold. Hell, I learned how to drive and give a blowjob in that car. She’s always been my home away from home. Shit, sometimes she was the only home I had.”

He blushed. He was usually proud to talk about his profession and more than happy to gush about his car. He hadn't, however, meant to slip in the part about learning how to give head in the car, or the times he and Sam were homeless.

“That sounds wonderful, Dean. You must really enjoy what you do.”

Dean was thankful Cas has some class and didn’t bring up the more sensitive subjects. He was sure his comment about Harrison Ford being the cause of all erections was enough to clue Cas in that they played for the same team, but there was no hiding it now.

“I do. I love it. Hey, are you sure it’s okay if I stay in your sorta Air B&B room? I don’t want to creep you out.”

“It’s okay, Dean. I will be safely locked upstairs, with all my guns. Are you sure you want to stay in my sorta Air B&B room? I don’t want to creep _you_ out,” Cas retorted.

“You’re kind of a smart ass, aren’t you?”

“Sarcasm is new to me. I like it.”

“So sarcasm and classic rock are new to you, but you are well versed in all things Harrison Ford?” Dean asked.

_Shit. You were going for not creepy remember? This is the opposite of not-creepy. This is very creep-like, Dean._

“Mmmh, well I never said I didn’t break some rules as a child. Some things were worth getting in trouble for.”

“Hey, if ever there was a reason to get in trouble, gawking at Harrison Ford would be it. But I gotta know man, Jones or Solo?”

“That’s too easy, Dean. Jones, all day everyday.”

“What? No way, man.”

“Yes way, Dean. He appears to be some nerdy professor by day, which, in it’s own right, is very hot. But then he puts on that green button down, the fedora, and pulls out a whip. Come on, how can Han Solo be hotter than that?”

“Because he has the Millenium Falcon. The Falcon is way hotter than a whip and fedora.”

“You can’t think Han Solo is hotter because of his vehicle. We are talking about the man not the machine!” Cas groaned, “I heard it. It was bad.”

“It was real bad, Cas. I’m a little embarrassed for you.”

“Don’t worry, I am embarrassed enough for both of us.”

Both men laughed as Cas slowly inched the car forward.

“If we get a little further up I think I might just drove off the side of the road. My exit is about half a mile up and it's pretty flat here,” Cas said, leaning over the steering wheel to get a better view of the snow-covered road.

“Sounds good to me. I would hate to get stuck on the highway all night. That happens in Chicago all the time. I really am sorry to have you out in this mess.”

“It’s not your fault, Dean, I didn’t expect so much accumulation so quickly. None of the weather predictions mentioned such a heavy start to this storm.”

“I’m really grateful for you letting me crash at your place.”

“At the risk of sounding creepy, it would be nice to have some company. I have some chili in the crockpot, if you would like to join me for dinner.”

Dean’s mouth instantly started to water, and he said, “Normally I would play the bullshit game of, ‘oh you don’t have to do that’ or ‘I’ll be fine’. But honestly, that sounds awesome.” Shyly, he added, “I mean the company too, not just the food.”

They made casual conversation as they inched forward. It seemed that the only time the cars shifted was when an SUV turns around in the median. The thought of sitting down with Castiel, having a real meal, had made him lose any semblance of patience.  “So, uh, you said that this area is pretty flat? If you throw her in four-wheel drive, I’m sure we can make it. I see the exit ramp from here.”

“Yeah, I could just drive on the shoulder. It shouldn’t be a problem. I just didn’t want to frighten you.”

Dean had to laugh at that, “What the hell? How would that frighten me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you are a cautious driver and don’t trust me to drive blindly in the middle of a blizzard.”

“I thought you were scared too. I was going to offer to take over driving if you were _frightened.”_ Dean said the last word in a mocking tone.

“Screw you, Dean, I’m an excellent driver. Just don’t shriek when you get scared,” Cas said, placing his Jeep in 4-High.

Dean chuckled, only sounding half-believable. He cursed himself for challenging Cas. It wasn’t that he was scared, it was just that he didn’t like someone else being in control. Sam always called him a control freak, and he always denied it. But as he sat there, white knuckles gripping the handle, he accepted his title as control freak.   

Castiel’s posture went back to the rigid uptight driver he met less than an hour ago.

God, it had only been an hour.

_How does this guy already know me well enough to know this would scare the shit out of me? Lucky guess._

As Cas slowly made his way onto the shoulder of the expressway, Dean did all he could to suppress a shriek.

_Just a lucky guess, that’s all._

He looked over at Cas and could swear he saw the hint of a smile, like he knew Dean was worried. But he wasn’t wrong. He was a good driver. They didn’t skid or fishtail once.

Soon they made their way up the exit ramp, a feat Dean was impressed with because the hill was rather steep. Getting to an access road, however, wasn’t any better. Since the storm came on so fast, these roads hadn’t been plowed yet.

Cas was driving very cautiously, and Dean braved breaking his concentration, “Hey – uh, you got any beer or whisky at your house?”

“I have some wine, but that doesn’t exactly pair well with chili. I think the convenience store near my neighborhood will still be open if you would like me to stop.”

Dean didn’t want to trouble his driver any more than he already had, but aside from a Xanax, getting at least a strong buzz was the only way he was going to calm down.

_No more traveling in winter, and absolutely never again will I leave my car behind._

“If it’s not too much trouble, I’ll just be a minute. I just need something to help me relax.”

“Sure, Dean, I’d be happy to… ” Cas paused and, giving Dean a worried look before he continued, “Stop. I’d be happy to stop. We are close to my house now. The convenience store never closes. The owners live next door, and a lot of people from my neighborhood will walk there to get items they need. Providing there is power.”

Dean smiled at Cas’ babbling. He felt he may be getting his hopes up, but he was sure Cas was about to say he would be happy to help him relax. Now he just had to figure out if Cas was trying to flirt. There was the chance that he had noticed what he was about to say could be misinterpreted, but Dean was banking on Cas trying to flirt, only to back out at the last second. The guy didn’t seem very experienced outside of being pursued at a bar, so Dean would take it slow. He made himself sound as if he was no longer interested in one night stands, which didn’t bother Dean. If the night ended with some making out and groping, that would be more than okay, but Dean accepted that he would be fine with just talking to his host.  

He expected himself to panic. It was one thing to fantasize about his own shop and coming home to the same person every night, but it was quite another to have found someone he could be interested in. Someone he didn’t get annoyed with after only knowing them five minutes, which wasn’t an easy task. Dean was a kind man, he just had no patience for people who wasted his time.  

_Get a hold of yourself, dude. You ain’t going on a date with him. It’s just dinner, because of the weather. That’s all._

The second Cas pulls into the parking lot, Dean was hopping out of the car. He made sure to ask Cas if he needed anything while he was inside before they reached the store, so he could escape the car as quickly as possible. Sitting in Cas’ Jeep surrounded by his scent was clouding his judgment. He smelled like Christmas cookies, spices, and comfort.

Rushing through the convenience store, Dean mentally chided himself.

_Just because a hot guy asks you to join him for dinner doesn’t mean he wants to fuck you. Or even see you ever again. God, I need to get laid. This is pathetic. Maybe he’ll -- DAMMIT Winchester, stop!_

He paid for his beer and the gallon of milk Cas requested and hurried back to the car.

“Holy shit, Cas, it snowed like a freaking inch while I was in there.” Dean’s teeth were chattering as he climbed into the jeep, knocking his boots against the runners to rid his feet of excess snow.

“It’s getting really bad. Let’s get home and get warmed up,” Cas mumbled as he exited the parking lot.

Castiel wasn’t lying when he said he lived close to the convenience store. Just a few turns and they were pulling into the detached garage of a two story Craftsman-style home. Dean gaped at the beauty of the house, set on a high foundation with several steps leading up to the covered porch. The second story had two bay windows with a small landing in between, creating a small balcony that was fenced off.

They entered through a side door leading into a mud room off the side of the kitchen. Cas instructed Dean to leave his coat and shoes there to dry.

“I’ll show you to your room and you can make yourself comfortable while I get dinner ready for us.” Cas took the beer and milk from Dean and sat them on the kitchen counter on the opposite side of the mud room.

Dean followed Cas down a flight of stairs to a fully-finished walkout basement. Downstairs, there was another living space with a large flat-screen TV mounted over a pale stone fireplace. There was a tan leather couch and two matching recliners, set up as if Cas was ready to host a SuperBowl party.

“Damn dude, it’s freezing down here here,” Dean complained.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting guests. I keep the vents closed off down here unless I plan for company. Once I open them it should warm up while we eat.”

Around the corner from the TV room was where Dean would be staying. He set his bags down on the queen-sized bed. Cas instructed him to get comfortable before dinner, as he would be doing the same. And didn’t that just give Dean all kinds of dirty thoughts. The idea of Cas ‘slipping into something a bit more comfortable’ made his dick finally decide to exit the hiding hole it had been in since he first stepped foot outside.

He took a moment to calm his nerves. He used the restroom, washing his hands and face. Dean was doing anything to stall going upstairs and having a non-date dinner with the sexy, blue-eyed driver, who just so happened to love the same type of music as he did.

Eventually, Dean ran out of reasons to avoid the upper level and ascended the stairs. The first floor was much warmer than his room in the basement. He hoped Cas had remembered to open the vents, and planned to double check as he walked into the kitchen, only he forgot how to speak when he walked into the kitchen and saw Cas bending over pulling something from the oven. He hadn’t had a chance to fully observe Cas’ body, and he was grateful to have the opportunity before Cas caught him staring at his ass, but what a nice ass it was.

Dean managed to tear his eyes away just as Cas turned around, greeting him with a smile, “Perfect timing, I just pulled the cornbread out of the oven. There is a bowl of chili cooling on the counter, and I set sour cream, cheese, and onions on the kitchen table. Please, help yourself.”

“Cas, this is too much, man. I could have helped.”

“Nonsense, you are my guest. It’s really nothing special.”

“Is it customary to offer Air B&B guests food? I’ve never used the service.” Dean could immediately tell he'd said something wrong, based on Castiel’s crestfallen expression.

“Right, please forgive me. I seem to have forgotten you are here as a customer.” Cas turned his back to Dean, opened the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. He handed one to Dean, doing all he could to avoid eye contact.

“Whaddya mean, Cas?” Dean asked, with a spark of hope. Maybe Cas was feeling the same connection he was.

“I really am sorry, Dean. It’s just -- I just enjoyed our conversation. You’re easy to talk to, and for a moment I forgot that we are not actually friends. I’m sorry. It’s rather pathetic.”

“It’s not pathetic at all, dude. I have to admit, it does feel like we are already friends. I’d be your friend, uh, you know, if you wanted.”

Dean’s felt like his stomach had been taken over by butterflies when Cas gives him a big, open-mouthed smile and said, “Of course, Dean.”  

After their bowls were filled with chili and all the fixings, they sat down at the table and talked until they had both finished a second helping. Dean told Cas about his dream to move home to open his own shop, but expressed his fear that his clients wouldn’t follow him. Cas told Dean how Jimmy is obsessed with classic cars, and would probably love to have Dean restore the ‘70 Pontiac GTO he’s always lusted after. Dean didn’t let himself get too excited about the prospect. People often underestimated how much it cost to restore a car. He knew Cas and Jimmy come from money, but he wasn't sure how much, and wasn't planning on asking.

Once the meal was done, Dean scooped up all the dishes and headed for the sink.

“Dean, whatever you last name is, you put those dishes down right now. I will not have a guest in my house doing chores.”

“You cooked, Cas. The least I can do is clean up.”

“No.”

“No? Just no?”

“Exactly, no. No, you are not doing the dishes. If you want to make yourself useful, go pick out a movie to… ” Cas paused and looked at Dean with wide, terrified eyes. “I'm sorry. I was going to ask you if you would like to join me for a movie. I didn’t mean to just assume…”

Dean cuts him off, “I would like that. Where are your movies?”

“There is a cabinet to the right of the TV, they are all in there. I have a bunch I have been meaning to watch, but truthfully most of them are still in the packaging.”

“Awesome, I’ll just go pick something out.”

It appeared they were in a staring contest because Cas refused to look away from Dean. Not that Dean made any effort to break the eye contact himself. After several long moments his thoughts come back to him, and he reiterated that he was going to select a movie, but not before saying, “Oh, um, Winchester. My last name is Winchester.”

Dean let out an amused chuckle as he browsed Castiel’s movie collection. It turns out Cas wasn’t joking about his crush on Harrison Ford. He had well over a hundred movies, and the only ones open were movies starring Ford.

“Hey, Cas?” Dean shouted from the living room, “How about we branch out a little from your obsession with Harrison Ford. You know Swayze is hot too, right?”

Cas entered the living room, holding out another beer to Dean. He took a long pull on his own before answering.

“Swayze? Like from Ghost and Dirty Dancing? He seems more like a romance actor. I pictured you more of an action guy,” Cas smirked.

“You take that back! Swayze is not a romantic lead. He just had to branch out a little. He gets a pass for a few lame movies. Swayze always gets a pass.”

Cas smiled and rolled his eyes, reaching for a movie still in the package. “Here Dean, let's watch this one. I’ve never been able to watch horror movies alone. Now would be a good time to watch this. I found the actor very attractive and the plot of the movie seems interesting.”

Dean reached for the movie, reading the title, _My Bloody Valentine_. After reading the synopsis on the back he flips the case over to get a better look at the cover. With a cocky grin, he held the case up next to his face, “Hey, this guy kind of looks like me. Just younger.”

Cas offered a flirtatious smile and said, “I would agree with your comparison.”

Dean beamed and Cas took the movie from his hand, looking at the case. “He does look a bit younger.”

Dean chuckled and gave Cas a playful shove. “Come on, let’s put it on. Do you have any movie snacks?”

“Snacks? Dean, We just finished dinner.”

“Yeah, I know. But you can’t watch a scary movie without snacks.”

“I think I have some carrots and a ranch dip made with greek yoghurt?”

“I don’t know what’s more disturbing. That you think carrots qualify as a movie snack or that you think ranch dip made with greek yogurt would be tasty. Don’t you just have popcorn and Twizzlers?”

“I may have popcorn, but I don’t have Twizzlers. I have never had Twizzlers. On the rare occasion I was allowed to watch television, usually my father's televised sermons, my mother always sat us down with carrots as a snack. Thus making carrots a movie snack.”

Dean tried to hide his grin. “You’re so damaged.”

“Takes one to know one.”

“Alright, so no snacks. Are we watching it in here? The TV room downstairs seems like it might be too chilly to be comfortable.” Dean mentally added, _unless you plan on keeping warm with your body heat._

“No, we will watch up here if that’s okay. I’ve opened the vents down there. Hopefully it will heat up enough for you to be comfortable. If not, I have an extra room upstairs, if you'd feel comfortable staying up here.”

Dean gave Cas a questioning look, “Why wouldn’t I be comfortable?”

“I don’t know. You don’t know if I am a psycho killer.”

“If you were a psycho killer, I doubt one locked door would keep you away. Plus we are friends now, remember? I trust you.”

A soft look played across Castiel’s face. “Thank you, Dean. I’m glad we are friends. And I trust you as well.”

Cas had mentioned not having friends a few times. He knew the guy had a strange childhood, and he was a little odd, but that just made him endearing and frankly adorable. Even though he wanted to shove his tongue down Cas’ throat while simultaneously cuddling him, he made a vow to at least be his friend. Even if he didn't make it back to Lawrence to open his own shop. He wanted to stay in contact with Cas. He deserved a good friend.

While Cas was setting up the movie, Dean made himself comfortable on the tan suede sofa. The room was simply decorated in calm neutrals. The sofa sat directly in front of the TV, overstuffed and comfortable. Next to the sofa was a matching loveseat. In the opposite corner, to the right, there was a fire place. It was far enough away to keep the room warm, without being too close to make it uncomfortable while watching TV.

Cas caught Dean inspecting the fire place and asked if he would like to start a fire. Dean insisted it was not worth the trouble, but truthfully, he would love to sit with Cas, the only light coming from the horror film and firelight.

“It’s no trouble. I'm chilly. It'll only take me a moment. I haven’t figured out the heating in this place yet. I have the thermostat set, but I think it’s poorly placed because I have to have the heat up to 85 before it will kick on most nights. I have the installer coming to look at it later this week. Until then, I have gotten fast at lighting a fire.”

Dean watches Cas get to work on starting the fire. “You have a beautiful home, Cas. Is it just you that lives here?”

“Yes, it’s just me. This place was a bit of an indulgence, but I loved the neighborhood and the structure of this house. I pretty much gutted her insides and rebuilt from scratch. Well, I didn’t do everything. I hired contractors for the bigger jobs, but I did a lot myself. The one perk about growing up in a cult-like community. You learn how to build just about anything.”

“Wow, man, that’s impressive.”

“Thank you. Jimmy thought I was crazy. He didn’t understand why I didn’t just want a brand new house. But I wanted something that had a history. I’m sure that sounds crazy.”

“Nah, not at all. I get it. I rebuild old things for a living, remember. If anyone gets it, it’s me.”

Once the fire was lit, the pair settled in on the couch. Dean wanted nothing more than to snuggle up next to Cas, but he wasn't sure the subtle flirting was an invitation to invade his personal space. Instead, he made himself comfortable, tucking his feet under himself, taking up as much room as possible, trying to stretch out to where Cas was seated at the opposite end.  

Dean wasn’t paying much attention to the movie. Instead, he was watching Cas out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to jump at everything, and all Dean wanted to do was hold him and offer him comfort. During the first part of the movie, Cas hid his eyes behind his hands as the masked man chased down the teenagers with a pick axe. As the movie progressed, he was clutching a throw pillow to his chest and would hide his face in the cushion every time he got scared. He could tell the man wasn’t handling the movie well, and decided, as a friend, it would be okay to offer some sort of comfort.

His heart pounded against his ribs. He was sure if he held his shirt open you could see a heart shape thumping out of his chest. He finally mustered all his courage and dragged himself across the the couch, sitting right next to Cas. His knees were drawn up to his chest and as soon as Dean scooted over, the killer murdered the naked screaming lady, causing Cas to turn his head and bury his face into Dean’s chest.

“Hey, ” Dean whispered, “we can turn this off.”

Cas looked up at Dean owlishly and shook his head. They were slow to break eye contact, but the crescendo from the TV pulled Castiel’s attention back to the screen. He righted himself, pulling his head off Dean’s chest, but kept himself plastered to the man’s side.

After a few more scares and Cas turning into his shoulder each time, Dean decided to push just a little further. Cas had his nose pressed into Dean’s t-shirt, peeking at the screen through one eye when Dean slid his hand behind Castiel’s back and around his waist. Cas peered up at Dean giving him a soft smile and snuggled closer.

_Smooth, Winchester, prey on him when he’s vulnerable. Real awesome, man._

Dean was about to remove his arm, feeling like a jerk for taking advantage of Cas in his frightened state, when Cas wrapped both arms around Dean’s waist and leaned into his chest.

_Alright, maybe he’s into it._

They stayed that way for several minutes until Cas’ right hand shot out towards the arm rest, and suddenly they were reclining. Cas grabbed Dean’s arm from around his waist and settled it on his shoulder, leaning in further to rest his head on Dean’s chest. “Is this okay?” he asked.

Dean was shocked at the seemingly bold move from Cas, and weakly responded, “Yeah.”

Dean wasn't paying attention, but apparently the end of the movie shocked Cas.  Dean looked down at the sound of Cas’ gasp, and asked if he was okay.

Castiel looked up at Dean with wide, shocked eyes, nodding his head.

Dean wanted to lean down and kiss him but he hesitated, still worried that Cas was in too much of a vulnerable state. Out of habit, Dean licked his lips and watched as Cas’ eyes traced the movement. That gave Dean just the right amount of encouragement, and he slowly leaned forward, giving Cas time to back away. Instead, he was met with a hard press against his mouth. Cas’ full lips on his. He was expecting a soft touch, but apparently Cas was better at reading the situation than Dean, because he kissed him as if he'd been waiting all day to do just that.

“I've been waiting all day to do that. Well maybe not all day. But since the Ford erection comment,” Cas gasped.

Before Dean could respond, Cas was leaning in again, capturing his lips. He shifted himself sideways, making it easier to deepen the kiss. Dean parted his lips with Cas following his lead, tongues meeting in the middle. Cas was more dominant than Dean had expected. He said he wasn’t very experienced sexually outside of a few quick bathroom hand jobs, and a few blowies. But apparently kissing was something he learned well in the past year.

Cas rolled his tongue against Dean’s, further deepening the kiss. Dean moved his hand from where it had been resting on the back of the couch and slowly began raking his palm cross Castiel’s shoulder, coming across his collarbone, up his neck, and finally resting in the hair that the nape of his neck. He slowly began to stroke the thick strands and Cas let out a small whimper. Dean decided that was his new favorite sound.

He loved kissing, but kissing Cas was unlike anything he had experienced. He was eager and excited. Their mouths worked perfectly together.

Cas got up on his knees and threw one leg over Dean’s, straddling his lap. He kept just enough distance from Dean that he couldn’t feel his erection, but felt the heat radiating from Cas’ groin.

They stayed that way for several long moments. Cas holding himself just out of reach as they kissed.  As much as he didn’t want to, Dean finally had to break away to catch his breath. “Cas,” he panted, “hey, maybe we should slow down a bit.”

Cas let out a disappointed groan as he pulled back from Dean’s mouth. His thighs were shaking, and he lowered himself to a fully seated position on Dean’s lap, causing Dean to lose all higher brain function. As soon as he felt Cas’ cock rub against his he forgot why he was so insistent on waiting. He grabbed Cas’ hips and pulled him closer, as he ground his pelvis up into the other man. Cas let out a long delicious moan and Dean began kissing down his neck. “Is this okay?” he whispered against the soft flesh of Cas’ throat.

“Yes, Dean, don’t stop. Please,” Cas begged, “don’t stoooooopaaahhhhhh.”

Dean’s hands trailed down Cas’ sides, and he let out a giggle. Apparently Castiel is ticklish. Dean decided to file that away for a time he was feeling more playful. In that moment, all he wanted to do was get him naked. He grabbed the hem of Cas’ shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it on the floor.

Their hips were still grinding into each other, and Dean was embarrassingly close to coming in his pants.  His breathing was rugged and he tried to still his hips, causing Cas to whine. Dean said, breathlessly, “Dude, if we don’t cool it, this thing’s about to be over.”

Cas detached himself from Dean’s mouth, and tugged his shirt off. “Don’t care.”

Dean tried to focus on anything other than shooting off five minutes after they started. The room had gone dark, the only light coming from the TV screen and the fireplace. He listend to the cracking and popping of the fire, but it wasn’t enough to slow him down. He grabbed Cas by the ass and slightly lifted him off his lap, giving him a few seconds to compose himself. “Not yet, Cas.”

“‘M close Dean, please don’t stop.”

And who was Dean to deny Cas? But damnit, he wasn’t coming all over his pants. He hadn’t done that since he was eighteen, and he wasn’t doing it with the hottest guy he’d ever been with. He quickly untied the drawstring and pulled Castiel’s sweatpants down as far as he could manage. He lifted his own hips, sliding his sweats halfway down this thighs. He raised two fingers to Cas’ mouth instructing him to ‘suck’. His other hand skimmed over his hard nipples, and Cas let out a loud moan around Dean’s fingers.

When Dean deemed his fingers wet enough, he pulled them out of Cas’ mouth and rubbed them against the sensitive spot just under the head of Castiel’s cock, feeling Cas thrust against him. Dean gently traced the head of his cock down Cas’s length, leaving behind traces of precome.  He hoped that would be enough lubricant, because he couldn’t wait any longer. Cas was looking down at Dean’s hand and gasped as Dean circled his fingers around both erections. Cas surged forward, kissing him, and Dean began swiftly pumping up and down. Cas was rocking his hips into Dean’s grip and he could tell Cas was as close as he was. He pulled back from their kiss and stared into Castiel’s eyes. It felt like a rom-com cliche, but he wanted to see Cas losing control. Catching sight of Cas’ hooded eyes and slack jaw was all it took to send him over the edge. He came with a grunt and as his hand, now covered in come, started to slow, Cas reached down wrapping his own hand around Dean’s, “Please, don’t stop. I’m right there.” Even though Dean’s cock was over sensitive, he continued to stroke along with Cas. With just a few more pumps, Cas was throwing his head back, fucking into their hands. “DEAN!” he cried out as come splashed onto his stomach and covered their hands.

Both men were panting and Cas collapsed on Dean, making a bigger mess against their stomachs. It took several minutes for their breathing to regulate and to come down from their post-orgasmic high. Cas pulled himself off Dean’s lap, leaning down to kiss Dean on the tip of his nose. “Wow.”

Cas was apparently an exhibitionist, because he let his pants drop to the ground, instructing Dean to stay where he was while he got a wash cloth. He returned quickly, and wiped Dean’s stomach and hands. They didn’t say much to each other, but neither man could look at the other without giving a shy smile as they got dressed.

Once Cas was partially dressed in his boxer briefs and t-shirt, Dean pulled him back down on the couch right next to him. Grabbing the throw blanket off the back of the couch and wrapping it around them. “Cas, are you--was that okay?”

Cas ducked his head, “It was great, Dean. I just hope I didn’t push you too far.”

“What, push _me_ too far? You were the one terrified and vulnerable.”

“I was not terrified.”

“Dude, you were shaking.”

Even though the fire light was casting shadows on Castiel’s face, Dean noticed him flush. “Hey, I’m sorry. I wasn’t making fun.”

“It’s not that. It’s just that was the first horror film I have ever seen,” Cas admits.

“Really?” Dean all but shrieked. Cas just nodded, clearly embarrassed.

“We should have started you with the classics, man. You can’t have My Bloody Valentine be your first, geez Cas. Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th. Even the remake of that one is good.”

“You make it sound as if it’s equivalent to my first sexual conquest.”

“Because it is, dude. Come on, we are watching the new Jason movie.”

Cas handed Dean the remote and asked him to find the movie while he got more beer and movie snacks.

He returned quickly holding a TV tray full of food and beer, setting it down on the coffee table. Cas laid out the snacks in a nice spread - a bag of Chex Mix, something called Moose Munch, and damn him - “Cas, you seriously brought carrots.”

“I told you, Dean, they’re a movie snack to me. I brought you popcorn with chocolate it in. Let me eat my carrots in peace.” He tried to sound stern, but the corners of his mouth lifted as he fought back a smile.

Just to spite him, Dean leaned forward and grabbed a carrot, dunking it in the god awful greek yogurt ranch. Only, it wasn’t awful. “That’s actually not that bad.”

“I will take that as an apology.”

“Woah, I wouldn’t go that far, dude.”

Cas just grinned and reached for the remote, then settled in next to Dean with his carrots in his lap.

They were watching the movie when a tall, handsome man knocked on the cabin door. Dean shot up from his reclined position and croaked, “Holy shit, that looks like Sammy.”

Cas paused the movie, “Sammy? As in your brother, Sam?”

“Yeah man, he looks just like him. Long shaggy hair and everything. That’s so weird. I have to tell him about it tomorrow.”

Cas placed his now empty carrot plate on the coffee table and finished off his beer. Dean noticed a shift in his posture, and wonder what made him suddenly so tense. Was it the mention of him seeing Sam? Maybe Cas was having regrets about their earlier tryst?

“Well, the good looks clearly run in the family.”

Dean couldn’t help himself and laughed at Cas’ comment. He was trying to keep the mood light when there was clearly something wrong with Cas. “Hey, I’m the older, handsomer brother. Don’t you forget it.” Without giving Cas a chance to reply, Dean lay back, pulling Cas with him. They struggled momentarily to find a comfortable position, settling on Dean pulling out the footrest and Cas draping himself across his Dean’s chest. He placed a quick kiss in Cas’ hair, savoring the honey scent.

He wasn’t paying attention to this movie either, instead gently carding his fingers through Cas’ hair. For once in his life, he allowed himself to daydream about the future. He knew it was dumb to think this was anything more than a one night stand, but Dean could see himself dating Cas, slowly getting to know him and all his quirks. He couldn’t remember a time when he really wanted more than just sex from someone.

“Hey,” Dean murmured, “I’m going to be here for a few weeks trying to get things sorted out with the shop location. Do you, um, I mean, can I take you on a date?”

Cas sat up, eyeing Dean, “You want to take me on a date? Like a real date?”

“Yeah. Obviously you don’t have to. I mean, if this was just a one off, that’s cool. I can get onboard with that. I just thought--”

“I would love to go out with you Dean. I thought maybe you were only interested in a _one off_ since your life is hectic right now.”

That gave Dean pause. He didn’t know what his future held. He wasn’t sure he could find a location in Lawrence. In fact, he wasn’t sure of anything right now. Other than knowing he didn’t want this to be a one time thing with Castiel.

“I mean, you’re right. Everything is uncertain. I don’t even know when I am going back to Chicago for sure. I have to sublet my place. I have to deal with the fallout from Crowley, which I know there will be. I-- Oh my God, I’ve turned into Sam.”

Cas didn’t respond, he just gave Dean a puzzled look hoping he would explain.

“Sorry. My brother does this thing where be babbles like a pre-teen when he gets nervous. Apparently, now I’m doing it. How embarrassing.”

“I thought it was cute. Yes Dean, I would be amenable to going on a date with you.”

“Hold back your enthusiasm there, Dory.”

“I don’t understand that reference.”

“Okay, maybe we don’t go on a proper date. Maybe we stay cuddled up on this couch and I share all my pop culture knowledge with you. Dory is from Finding Nemo. She’s always happy and excited. She willingly accepts anything that comes her way. I called you Dory because,” Dean cleared his throat and mocked Castiel’s deep rasp, “ _I would be amenable to going on a date with you_ was the least enthusiastic date acceptance I have ever had. It’s sarcasm, Cas.”

He laughed, “It’s one thing to not get popular culture, but I know a bad joke when I hear one, Dean.”

“Shuddup,” the other man said as he pulled Cas back to his chest.

**********

Dean woke up the next morning with a kink in his neck, and Castiel in his arms. He was still reclined on the sofa, with Cas laying on top of him. Even though he was uncomfortable, he enjoyed the warmth of Castiel. The fire had died down and the room was chilly. His bladder was full, and his neck was killing him, but he wasn’t ready to move yet. After allowing himself the fantasy of dating Cas the previous night, Dean was reluctant to get up and put an end to it all.

He did his best to wiggle free of Castiel’s grip without waking him. He trekked down the stairs to his suitcase, and grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. He had every intention of kissing Cas as much as he could before they got to Uncle Bobby’s house, and wasn’t going to let morning breath hold him back for one second. He was glad he fell asleep on the couch because the basement was still freezing cold.

Once he had relieved himself, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and dressed in clean clothes, Dean lugged his suitcase back upstairs. He noticed that the other man was no longer sleeping on the couch, and hoped Cas had the same idea about not letting morning breath slow them down.

He was in the kitchen making coffee when Cas snuck up behind him,wrapping his arms around his waist, and pressing his warm lips to the back of Dean's neck. “Morning,” he mumbled.

“Morning Sunshine, want some coffee? I hope you don’t mind me rummaging through your cabinets.”

“How could I possibly mind you making me coffee?”

Dean turned in Castiel’s arms, bending his head to kiss him properly. “Hmmm, I hoped you’d say that.”

“I’ll make us some breakfast and then take you to Singer’s. I am sure you are looking forward to seeing your family.”

“I know I’m supposed to say _oh you don’t have to make me breakfast,_ but honestly, I’ve had your cooking and would love something to eat. Just please tell me carrots are not a breakfast food in your house.”

Cas laughed, “No, I was thinking omelets. I can add carrots though. I am sure they will really add an extra kick.”

“I hate you. I take it back. I don’t want a date. I can’t associate myself with a carrot lover. I have enough of those in my life.”

Cas turned from pulling the ingredients out of the fridge and walked up to Dean, crowding up against him. “You’re being dramatic. You don’t hate carrots and you surely don’t hate me.” Cas stood on his tippy toes and kissed Dean on the nose again. That's a Cas habit he'd already grown fond of.

“Mmm. You’re right. Carrots I can live without, but this,” he pressed his mouth to Castiel’s, giving him a chaste kiss, “I could get used to this.”

  


**Epilogue: One Year Later**

“Cas, hurry up. We’re going to be late. You know how much Jess hates when we are late. Get your ass in gear,” Dean shouted from the bottom step.

Cas came rushing down, pulling a hideous sweater over his head. “I told you to hurry it up. But then you had to go and do that thing with the thing--”

Dean caught Cas’ arm as he scurried past him, pulling his boyfriend around to face him, “Oh you mean that thing you were begging me for.”

“Hum, begging you to hurry it up maybe.”

“Well, let’s not argue about good sex.”

“It was good, wasn’t it?” Cas gave Dean a quick kiss, hurring to get his shoes on.

“I hope this stupid ugly sweater trend wears off by next year. This is not awesome.” Dean scowled down at his sweater. It was a red zip-up sweater with black and cream squares all over it. In the squares were the most awful Christmas patterns, poinsettia flowers, wreaths, poorly decorated Christmas trees. It was just so ugly. Not like Cas’. No, Cas had on the dorky, adorable, homemade ugly-but-not-really-ugly sweater. He saw the design on Pinterest. Of course he did, Cas was obsessed with Pinterest. He wrapped gold tinsel around a green sweater making it look like a decorated tree. He had ornaments and even battery powered lights glued to the front of the sweater. When he lifted his arms over his head, it looked like the tree came to a point. Dean made him carry around an angel to hold above his head.

There had been an argument about the angel, but Dean won out. He insisted the angel looked like Cas, with its messy black hair and blue eyes. The kicker though, was the robe the thing was wearing was the same color as Cas’ favorite trench coat. Cas insisted that was not what angels looked like, but Dean gave him the cheesy line of “well it looks an awful lot like my angel.” He knew Cas couldn’t resist such an adorable line.

“Don’t forget your belt, babe. That’s the best part,” Dean reminded his boyfriend. Cas’ eyes went wide as he bound back up the stairs.

If there was one thing Dean had learned over the past ten months, it’s that Cas hated being late. Dean always joked and blamed it on Jess, even though she’s the most laid back person they know. The first time Cas met Jess and Sam was the day before Dean returned to Chicago. He wanted his last night to be spent with his entire family, and that now included Cas. When they walked in ten minutes late, Jess made a joke about them ‘finally deciding to show up’. It wasn’t until Dean moved in with Cas that he learned Cas would lose all ability to function if he was running late.  

After spending three weeks together, Dean was worried what he had with Cas would fade away upon returning to Chicago to settle his affairs. He noticed around the fourth date with Castiel, in just as many days, that he stopped calling Chicago home. He didn’t know what his life would be like moving back to Lawrence, but he knew it was worth the risk. He had been ninety-nine percent sure moving back was what we wanted, but after he left Cas that first time, he knew his home was in Kansas.

Cas must have taken a few breaths to compose himself while he was upstairs because as he descended the staircase, he seemed calmer. In his hand was the item that brought the whole sweater together - the reason, if anyone asked, they were running late. Even though Cas wanted to blame Dean form the impromptu show sex, it was really the final touches on the belt that made them late. Cas had meticulously wrapped and decorated several empty boxes and hot glued them to the front of an old belt, insisting a Christmas tree with out gifts, was close to blasphemy. If Dean was being honest, the gifts made his outfit perfect, and was worth a cranky and flustered Cas.

“I took time out of my shower to help you relax, babe. You gotta chill out. You know everyone there and they all love you. You weren’t this nervous for Thanksgiving.”

“I’m not nervous about anything, Dean,” Cas argues. “I just don’t want to be late.”

“Okay, okay… then why are we standing here arguing? Get in the Jeep.”

Cas still had his Jeep, Dean still had the Impala of course, but Dean’s side project was getting Cas his own baby. He wasn’t into cars the way Dean and his twin brother Jimmy were, but he agreed to pick a car he liked with Dean. His boyfriend groaned when Cas chose a ‘67 Ford Mustang Fastback, saying he was going to ruin his reputation as The Chevy Man. Cas just shrugged and said he was happy with his Jeep and Dean sighed, planning to search salvage yards first thing in the morning.

That had been when Dean returned in March. He found a location to open his own shop. It was slow going at first. He didn’t have any restoration customers right off the bat so, in between oil changes and alternator repairs he slowly worked on Cas’ car. His plan was for it to have been the first car done at Winchester Repairs and Restorations, but Castiel’s car had been on hold for well over two months. Dean got his first paid restoration that summer. Jimmy finally found a ‘70 GTO in decent condition. It wasn’t a huge job and Dean got the car back to Jimmy within a month. In late summer, Dean placed the Impala and Camaro in a car show and had a few interested clients. He even got a call from Cain Beeson, someone Dean had restored two cars for back in Chicago. Cain was a collector, and a great customer to have. He wasn’t making as much money as he did with Crowley, but he wasn’t running in the red anymore, and that’s all he could ask for.

As they opened the door to Sam and Jess’ house, they were rushed by two small children in truly awful sweaters. Chuck, Sam’s oldest, ran head first into Dean’s crotch. “Hey little man, we have to teach you what a nut check is,” he whispered breathlessly. He wasn’t actually injured, he just wanted to make Cas laugh. He preened when he heard Castiel chuckle.

“Unca Cas, those my presents?” Becky asked. The small blonde girl was the spitting image of her mother. Her hair fell in ringlets all around her shoulders, grey eyes looking up at him. There was an ongoing battle in the family to decide which kid was more identical to their parent. Right now Jess was winning with her mini me. But Dean knew that in a few years, Chuck was going to be nine-year-old Sam born again, stupid floppy hair and all. Not to say the kid didn’t look like him now, because he did. There was no denying it, he was all Sam. But once he grew out of his baby fat, and hit a growth spurt, Dean figured Sam would be rubbing it in Jess’ face.

“No, sweetheart, these are a part of my sweater. Uncle Dean left your presents in the car,” Cas scowled at Dean.

“Yup, I’ll just go grab those.” Apparently he was still getting blamed for making them late.

It was Christmas Eve, and Dean hoped they were starting a new tradition. Sam and Jess would spend Christmas with her family, and Dean and Cas would be going to Jimmy and Amelia’s for Christmas Dinner. So Christmas Eve was all about the Winchesters.

Jessica and Dean were in the kitchen putting the final touches on their Christmas meal. Dean insisted everyone call it lupper, because it was too late to be lunch, but too early to be supper. But of course, everyone just rolled their eyes at him. No one appreciated his sense of humor. He was laughing as he brought the gravy boat to the dining room. When he saw Cas holding Becky and joking with Uncle Bobby it took his breath away. He stopped laughing because his smile took over his face. “Hey old man, when did you get here?” Dean asked as he pulled Bobby into a hug.

“Did you think I was going to miss a Winchester lupper? I ain’t an idjit, Jessica here makes the best damn pecan pie in the state.”

Dean beamed and slapped Bobby’s shoulder, “At least someone here gets it.”

Dean pretended he doesn’t see the look Bobby and Cas exchanged. He pretended that he didn’t know somehow, that Cas got Bobby to agree to call the dinner lupper, managing to still be an asshole for not going along with Dean’s antics, but sweet enough to make sure Dean didn’t end up with hurt feelings. Not that he wasn’t used to people ignoring his amazing sense of humor, but it was still comforting to know that Cas cared. Even if he didn’t always get the double entendres, innuendos, or puns.

As Bobby made his way into the kitchen to greet Jess, Dean scooped Becky from Dean’s arms. He leaned in and gave his boyfriend a kiss. “I want a few of these.”

Wide eyed and smiling, Cas asked, “really?”

“Yeah. I mean maybe now wasn’t the best time to bring it up, but it’s the only thing I don’t know about you. Every time we have talked about kids, you never seem to have much to say.” Dean’s hands started to sweat. He was starting to panic. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

“No, you’re right. I’ve never let myself think too much about it. You know the shit with my family. I just never really thought it would be in the cards for me. But when I see you playing with these guys,” Cas gently tugged one of Becky’s curls, “I have this fantasy of a dark haired, green eyed child chasing you around the yard.”

Dean ducked his head, saying, “Sap.”

“Seriously, Dean. You would be an amazing father. Kansas isn’t the most liberal state, but I have heard of same-sex adoptions happening. There are options. There is a lot we would have to discuss, but the short answer is, yes. I want children.”

Dean’s panic began to subside. “Good. That’s good.”

Dean forgot he was holding the biggest blabbermouth in the Winchester clan when Becky shouted, “Unca Dean wants to buy a baby.” Sam, Jess, and Bobby all stopped arranging the food on the dining room table to stare at Dean. “I-uh—that’s not… ” He was flustered and his only defense was to turn to sarcasm. “It’s not like we’re going to buy a kid off the black market.”

Sam’s eyes soften. “I didn’t know you wanted kids.”

“Don’t look at me with your stupid puppy dog eyes, it’s not that big of a deal Sam.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“No, don’t say yeah okay like _yeah, okay._ ”

Sam turns to hide his smile, walking back into the kitchen to get the last of their meal, “Yeah, okay.”

Dinner went on like any other family meal. There was joking, laughing, and teasing, but there was something warm that had settled into Dean’s chest. Watching Cas help Chuck cut up ham, and seeing Sam get hit in the face with mash potatoes that Becky flung at him, let Dean know he had made the right choice. He’d never once questioned coming back home, never regretted how quickly things seemed to be moving with Cas. Some might have called it foolish, but Dean had known for a very long time he wanted his future to be with Castiel. He just hoped Cas felt the same way. Before the end of the night, he would know.

They decided to exchange one gift each. Night had settled in, and Sam built a fire while Jess got the kids situated on the floor. “Alright kiddos, these are your gifts from your uncles and grandpa. You don’t get your gifts from Santa or us until the morning, so don’t even bother asking.” Chuck rolled his eyes, and Dean assumed he must have figured out the deal with Santa already. But he was a good sport for playing along for his sister’s sake.

Cas brought out warm apple cider for the adults, and peppermint hot cocoa for the kids, earning a glare from Jess. “Don’t look at me that way Jessica. Studies have shown that sugar doesn’t actually make kids hyper.” She huffed, but said nothing more.

Before long the family was surrounded by discarded paper and newly revealed gifts. Dean got Sam a custom-made messenger bag that looked like a book. The part that made Sam tear up was the title of the book on the bag, “Wayward Sons: The Road So Far. A collection of short stories by Sam Winchester”. Bobby laughed, Cas and Jess looked confused, Sam cried, and Dean blushed. “Look inside,” he told Sam.

“Dean, how in the hell did you make this into an actual book?” Sam asked, holding up a replica of the messenger bag. It was a thin book, no more than a hundred pages, but still impressive for being written by a twelve-year-old Sam.

“I kept your notebook. We thought you lost it, remember? I found it years later, and decided to keep it. When I was packing to move back home, I found it again. You can find anything you want on the internet Sammy. Even getting your nerdy little brother’s fiction turned into an actual classic.”

Sam had tears rolling down his face as he rubbed his finger over the gold embossing of the title. Dean had really gone all out on this gift. He found a book repair shop online. After some nagging and a lot of negotiating Dean convinced the shop owner to press and bind Sam’s work. It was expensive, very expensive. The book was letterpressed, sewn together, and covered in leather. The dealer even went so far as to age the book so it looked like a literary classic.

Sam turned to Jess to explain, “When I was like, I don’t know, twelve or something I used to write stories. When I was little, Dean told me a bedtime story once of these brothers who traveled across the country fighting monsters. They drove around from state to state in an old classic car. Their names were Sal and Dan. They were superheroes, but they didn’t have any powers. He told me he dreamed about them one night when he fell asleep listening to Kansas’ Carry On My Wayward Son on repeat. Which was usual back then.”

“It's a classic.”

Sam ignored his brothers comment. “That’s why I named it Wayward Sons.”

It was Dean’s turn to fight back tears. “I can’t believe you remember all that”.

“Of course I do, Dean,” Sam turned red and mumbled, “I never stopped writing about them.”

“What? I thought you stopped when you lost the notebook.”

“I mean, I did for a while. But they never left me. It would probably be a few years in-between stories, but I kept writing. Then when Chuck was born, I told him the story of how Sal and Dan had to save kids from the cookie monster. That made me miss them, so I started writing again pretty regularly. They have a friend now who’s an angel.”

“An angel, huh? That’s great, Sammy. I would love to read them,” Dean said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

“Yeah, of course, Dean,” Sam said, standing and pulling his brother into a hug.

Bobby cleared his throat. “Are you two done being overgrown babies? That pie is calling my name.”

Dean laughed, “Cool your jets, gramps. Cas and I still have to go.”

Cas panicked and looked around. “I didn’t think we were exchanging gifts here, Dean. I left yours at home.”

“That’s okay, babe.” Dean hated the look of shame on Cas’ face, he kneeled down in front of Cas who was sitting on the loveseat. He picked up Cas’ hand and kissed his knuckles. “Hey, if you want to wait we can. You don’t have to open yours now.”

Cas blushed, “Well now I’m kind of curious. Are you sure it’s okay if I open mine without you?”

Dean just smiled and reached for the belt around Cas’ waist. Throughout the night the boxes had bumped up against the counter, dining room table, and poked Cas when he sat down, but Dean insisted he keep it on. They were looking worse for wear, but the one set off to the left in the shiny white and blue wrapping, with the mini silver bow still looked perfect to Dean. He pulled it off the belt and handed it to Cas. With wide eyes, Cas slowly plucked the box out of Dean’s fingers. His heart began to race as he felt Cas’ hand brush against his. The panic from earlier was coming back, and he was scared this was too soon. Scared Cas and his family would think he was crazy.

The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire and Cas slowly untaping the edges of the box. As the paper fell away Cas gasped at the blue Tiffany box.

“Cas, I’m not good with words. You know that. But I want you forever. I need you. I want to promise, in front of all our friends and family, to cherish and love you until the day I die.” Dean reached for the small box. He pulled the blue lid off, and slid the ring box out into his palm. “Will you be my husband?”

Before he could even open the ring box, Cas grabbed Dean’s face and pulled him into a kiss. He heard one of the kids say “ewww”, but all he could think about was Cas’ mouth on his. He wanted nothing more than to settle on Castiel’s lap, and ride out the excitement. But he knew he would have to wait on that when he planned a public proposal. He wanted to catch Cas off guard, and he was pleased with his success.

As hard as it was, Dean pulled away before things got indecent. Cas was smiling with tears in his eyes, making him the third person to cry that night. “Of course, Dean. Of course I will marry you.” Dean smiled and kissed Cas again,this time keeping it chaste. He was still gripping the ring box when he pulled away for the second time. He flipped the box open and pulled out the ring. It was a simple titanium band with crushed diamonds set on a diagonal. It was the perfect blend between masculine and beautiful. Just like Castiel.

Dean couldn’t stop smiling as his family started clapping and cheering. Chuck was explaining to Becky that uncle Cas and uncle Dean “want to get married so they can kiss anytime they want to.” Becky proceeded to question why adults wanted to kiss anyway, it was yucky. He couldn’t wait until he and Cas had kids of their own. Couldn’t wait to teach his kids to be loving, tolerant, and accepting. Mostly, he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with Cas.  

  
  
  
  



End file.
